Egg shipping container



May 27, 1952 c. REESER 2,597,845

EGG SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed March 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 27, 1952 c, REESER 2,597,845

EGG SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed March 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR inner Z fi ed-Em ATTORNEY y 27, 1952 H. c. REESER 2,597,845

EGG SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed March 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR; z 'i/PY 6' fifrie ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EGG SHIPPING CONTAINER Harry 0. Reescr, North Hollywood, Calif., as-. signor to The Patent and Licensing Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 1, 1949, Serial No. 79,015

6 Claims. (Cl. 22915) This invention relates to shipping containers and is particularly concerned with compartmented containers adapted for the shipment of eggs and made of corrugated or solid fiberboard,

boxboard, or similar strong, lightweight foldexternal impact, should not only eifectively pro- V tect their contents from the hazards of shipment and handling but should be strong enough to sustain compression loading of superposed containers and should be adapted to be easily opened and closed at frequent intervals. highly desirable that such containers be capable of being shipped in the form of flat blanks which may be readily and quickly assembled by the prospective user. Egg shipping containers heretofore made of lightweight foldable material and devised in an efiort to meet the above criteria have generally had one or more commercial disadvantages. For example, they employ an inordinate amount of material in their construction, are diiiicult to manufacture or assemble, owing, for example, to the use of a plurality of diiTerently-shaped blanks, or are bulky to ship when empty. Prior attempts to simplify the construction of egg shipping containers have frequently resultedin containers deficient in dimensional stability and load-bearing strength, i. e. they do not provide the desired protection for their contents.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved compartmented shipping container for eggs and the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a container of the character indicated which has greater general efiiciency and desirability as compared with known containers.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a compartmented container of simplifled construction having dimensional stability and load-bearing strength. 7

According to the invention, I provide an egg shipping container comprising a case formed from two identical flat blanks, and a centrallypositioned transverse partition member secured to the side walls of the case and dividing the container into two compartments. The cover elements for the container are integral with the end walls of the case and are provided with locking flaps which hold the covers in place, when closed, by frictional engagement with the central transverse partition.

Further, it is Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of Fi 1,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank forming the body of my container and showing the manner in which the two identical body blanks are positioned for assembly,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank forming the partition member,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembly of the body and partition blanks, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the container ShOWiIlg details of its construction.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 5, there is shown a substantially rectangular fiat blank, designated generally by the numeral H], which has been cut and scored to permit fabrication of a container embodying features of the present invention. The blank ll] may be formed from a fiat sheet of corrugated fiberboard, solid fiberboard, boxboard or other similar foldable material which is lightweight yet possesses adequate flexibility and strength for the purposes of the invention.

The blank H] has been scored to define a rectangular bottom panel I I side wall panels l2 and I3, flexibly connected to opposite sides of panel H along score lines Ill and I5, respectively, and an end wall panel l6, flexibly connected to one end of bottom panel il along score line ll. An extension of endwall panel !6, defined by a score line 18, provides a cover panel I 9. The outer edge of cover panel I9 is formed with a locking flap 20, flexibly connected thereto along score line 2|. Extending outwardly from the upper portion of opposite sides of end wall panel It are bracing strips 22 and 23, flexibly connected to panel it along score lines 24 and 25, respectively. It will be observed that bracing strip 22 is substantially longer than bracing strip 23. Top flaps 27 and 28, adapted to be folded inwardly across the top opening of the assembled case, are flexibly connected along score lines 29 and 39 to the edgesv of bracing flaps 22 and 23, respectively. Top flaps 21 and 28 are separated from cover panel l9 by cuts 3| and 32, respectively. Reinforcement of the end walls of my container is provided by end liner panels 35 and 35, which are flexibly connected to the side edges of side wall panels i2 and 13 along score lines 31 and 38, respectively, and are separated from end wall panel it by cuts 3 and 49. respectively. The panels 35 and 36 are one-half the width of end wall panel [6 so that their end edges will abut when the container is assembled, as shown in Fig. 7. To facilitate handling of the container a convenient hand hold is formed in the end wall panel 16 by cut 4| which defines a flap diflexibly connected to panel !6 along a score line 53. Cutouts 44 and 45 are provided in end'liner panels 35 and 35, respectively, and are positioned .insuch a way that they will coincide with the hand hold formed by cut 4i when the container is assembled.

It is a feature of my container that the body portion is formed from two identical blanks which are adapted to be joined to .form a structure having dimensional stability and loadbearing strength. To permit bottom and side wall portions of the two blanks to be securely joined, bottom panel H and side wall panels '12 and [3 are provided with attaching flanges. Flange 45 is flexibly connected along score line 41 to bottom panel .II and flanges 48 "and '49 are flexibly connected along score lines 55 and to the ends of side wall panels 12 and i3 respectively. Cuts 52 and 53 separate flange 45 from flanges 48 and 49, respectively.

My complete container is formed from the two identical body members and a centrally-positioned transverse partition member. Referring to Fig. 6, the partition member is formed from a substantially rectangular flat blank designated generally by the numeral 55. Blank55 is longitudinally scored to define two partition panels 55, flexibly joined along double parallel score lines 51, andsecuring strips58 flexibly joined to onposite'sides of panels'56 along score lines 59.

It will be observed that the blanks with which I form my container are substantially rectangular and are free from-small tabs and the like which might be torn off in handling and which add to the difliculty of manufacture and assembly. My container may be shipped to the user in the form of flat blanks which may be easily and quickly assembled. Only one form of blank is required for constructing the entire body portion of my container. A second form of blank is required only for the transverse partition. The container when assembled has'good dimensional stability and will withstand compression loading of several {tiers of superposed containers.

To assemble the container, two of the body blanks are first joined by means of attaching flanges 45, 48 and 49. While the two body blanks are identical, in 'order'to facilitate the description, one will be referred to as blank Ill and the other as blank Illa. As shown in Fig. 5, blanks l9 and [0a are positioned with the attaching flange 48 of blank l0 adjacent attaching flange 49 of blank Ilia and the attaching flange 49 of blank Iii adjacent attaching flange 48 of blank Illa. The flanges of blank Iii are then attached to the flanges of blank lila in such a manner that they will extend inwardly into the assembled container. For example, the flanges 46,48 and 49 are bent upwardly at right angles and the two sets of flanges attached, as by staples 56. The side wall panels I2 and i3 are then bent upwardly and the end liner panels 35 and 35 are bent inwardly in abuttingirelationship. Referring'to Fig. 8, it will be observed that the attaching flanges 48 and 49 straddle the flanges 4B. Staples or other securing means should not, therefore. be used along the lower ends of flanges 48 and 49. The end Wall panels l5 are then bent upwardly and the bracing strips 21 and 28 bent inwardly so that they overlie the side Wall panels i2 and I3, respectively. In bringing end wall panels [5 into position, the flap 4| is bent upwardly against panel [5. The bracing strips 28 extend over a portion of the side wall I 3 of the adjoining blank and are secured thereto as by staples 6i). Bracing strips 22 abut bracing strips 23 and are secured, as by stapling, to the adjacent side wall panels 12. To assemble the partition, securing. strips 58 are bent upwardly at right angles to partition panels 56 which are 'then bent along score lines 51 into overlapping relationship. The partition is directed into position' over attaching flanges 46 and 4-8 as shown in Fig. 8 and the securing strips 53 are attached, as by staples-5.0, to the side wall panels l2 and IS. The container is then ready to *be loaded. After loading, top'flaps 21 and 28 are bent .inwardly across the top opening of the case, and cover panels 19 are bent downwardly over top flaps 27 and 28. It will be observed that anarrow slot is formed between partition panels 56 and the inner side edges of top flaps 21 and 28. The locking flaps 20 are directed into this slot between the partition panels and the top flaps. The resultant frictional engagement holds the cover panels l9 securely in place yet permitsthe container to be readily opened. When the contents are to be inspected or removed, the cover panels i9 may be folded back and then again securely .closed. Separate covers, which are commonly employed withconventional egg cases are easily misplaced or damaged in the course of the frequent opening and closing to which egg cases are commonly-subjected, and in some instances fall .oifv in the course of shipment. My container avoids this disadvantage.

The combined eiiect of the assembled attachflanges, bracing stripsand partition member gives-nay container good dimensional stability and permits it to resist compression forces which wculd tend to injure the contents. The top of my container also provides a load-bearing surface resistant to compression loading of superpose'd containers. My container will easily sustain compression loading of several tiers of cases with complete protection of its contents.

It be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims and it is intended that all'rnatter contained in the foregoing description andin the drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A compartmented container for the shipment of eggs and the like, comprising two identical body members joined to form a unitary container body, and a transverse partition dividing said container into two compartments, each of said body members comprising an end wall, a bottom, and sidewalls, and inwardly extending attaching flanges integral with the bottom and side walls of said body members, the flanges of one of said body 111 :nbers being secured to the flanges of the other of body members. I

2. A compartmented container for the ship'- ment of and the like, corny i ere jcined to fern a unitary con- 1.1 body, and a transverse partiticn dividing ng two identisaid container into two compartments, each of said body members comprising an end wall, a bottom, and sidewalls, inwardly extending attaching flanges integral with the bottom and side walls of said body members, the flanges of one of said 5 body members being secured to the flanges of the other of said body members, and bracing flaps extending from the sides of said end walls and overlying the adjacent side walls, a portion of one bracing flap from each end wall extending to the side wall of the adjacent body member and being secured thereto.

3. A compartmented container for the shipment of eggs and the like, comprising two identical body members 'joined to form a unitary container body, a transverse partition dividing said container into two compartments, each of said body members comprisingan end wall, a bottom, and side walls, inwardly extending attaching flanges integral with the bottom and side walls of said body members, the flanges of one of said body members being secured to the flanges of the other of said body members, cover members integral with said end walls and bendable inwardly to close said compartments, the end edges of said cover members having integral locking flaps, bracing flaps extending from the sides of said end walls and overlying the adjacent side walls, and top flaps extending inwardly from the top edges of said bracing flaps, said top flaps forming a slot with said transverse partition adapted to receive the locking flaps.

4. A compartmented container for the shipment of eggs and the like, comprising two identical body members joined to form a unitary container body, each of said body members comprising an end wall, a bottom, and side walls and inwardly extending attaching flanges integral with the bottom and side walls of said body members, the flanges of one of said body members being secured to the flanges of the other of said body members, said container further comprising a transverse partition dividing said container into two compartments, said partition being formed by two integral panels folded to provide a double walled member enclosing said attaching flanges.

5. A compartmented container for the shipment of eggs and the like, comprising a bottom, side walls and end walls forming a unitary container body, a transverse partition disposed centrally of said container body and dividing said body into two compartments, cover members for each compartment integral with said end walls and bendable inwardly to close said compartments, the end edge of said cover members having integral locking flaps, bracing flaps extending from the sides of said end walls and overlying the adjacent side walls, and top flaps extending inwardly from the top edges of said bracing flaps, said top flaps forming a slot with said transverse. partition adapted to receive the locking flaps.

6. A compartmented container for the ship ment of eggs and the like, comprising two identical body members joined to form a unitary container body, and a transverse partition dividing said container into two compartments, each of said body members comprising an end wall, a bottom and side walls, inwardly extending attaching flanges integral with the bottom and side walls of said body members, the flanges of one of said body members being secured to the flanges of the other of said body members, and cover members integral with said end walls and bendable inwardly to close said compartments.

HARRY C. REESER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,138,112 Means Nov. 29, 1938 2,297,982 Potts Oct. 6, 1942 2,327,529 Kieckhefer Aug. 24, 1943 2,361,650 Potts Oct. 31, 1944 2,404,065 Hill July 16, 1946 2,448,795 Grecco Sept. 7, 1948 

